Oil-gas generator



9 Dee,16,1924

G.E.CUSTER OIL GAS GENERATOR Filed March 9, 1923 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

GEORGE E, CUSTER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

OIL-GAS GENERATOR.

Application filed March 9, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. Cosme, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oil-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in oil gas generators, and has for its object to provide a device for generating gas from any of the suitable fuel oils available, in order that the gas may, in turn, be utilized as a fuel in stoves, heaters, furnaces, and steam boilers.

Another object of the invention is to em body in the device means for scraping the interior of certain of the generator tubes in order that carbon collecting upon the interior wall of the tubes may be scraped therefrom.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 represents a partial plan view and partial horizontal section of an oil gas generator embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the generator.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the generator as viewed from the left hand side of Figs. 1 and 2, a portion of said generator being broken away and shown in section.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 5 represents a manifold in the interior of which is provided a chamber 6. Fastened at one end thereof in the manifold 5 are a plurality of generator tubes 7 preferably parallel to each other and having their free ends closed by suitable caps 8 to which oil supply pipes 9 leading from a suitable source of oil supply are connected in any suitable manner. Detachably secured to the manifold 5 upon the opposite side thereof from the generator tubes 7 and positioned in alignment therewith are screw plugs 10 in each of which is mounted a tapered member 11 which extends through the manifold 5 and into the generator tube 7. The member 11 is preferably frustro-conical and tapers toward the entrance end of the tube 7 and extends for nearly the entire length of the latter, its longitudinal median line being coincident with that of the tube 7 Serial No. 624,026.

and a passageway 12 is, therefore, formed within said generator tube and manifold 5 around said member 11, said passageway tapering from the entrance end of the tube 7 towards its discharge end which is located within the manifold 5.

Mounted upon the tapered member 11 at its free end is a wire brush 13, the periphery of which is cylindrical in form and contacts with the interior surface of the generator tube 7. The brush 13 is utilized to clean carbon which forms within the generator tube 7 from the interior surface thereof, the operation being accomplished by removing the screw plug 10 from the manifold 5 and withdrawing the tapered member 11 from the tube 7, the brush 13 scraping the interior wall of said tube while so doing.

The passageway 12 of each generator tube 7 is connected with the chamber 6 of the manifold 5 by a port 14L for which a needle valve 15 is provided, the latter being mounted in a stuffing-box 16, in turn mounted in the manifold 5.

Another tube 17 somewhat larger in diameter than the generator tube 7 is also fastened at one end thereof in the manifold 5', and the interior of said tube constitutes a gas reservoir and communicates with the chamber 6 of said manifold. The tube 17 is disposed in parallel relation to the tubes 7 and is somewhat longer than the latter and upon the opposite end thereof from the manifold 5 is fastened another manifold 18, the interior of which is provided with a chamber 19 with which the interior of the gas reservoir 17 communicates. A plurality of nozzles 20 are detachably secured in the manifold 18 and each of the said nozzles is provided with a discharge port 21 through which gas may pass from the chamber 19 into a suitable mixing chamber 22, a portion of which is illustrated in Fig. 1. The mixing chamber 22 may be of any suitable construction, being provided for the purpose of mixing air in correct proportion with the gas prior to its combustion.

The passage of the gas through the ports 21 into the mixing chamber 22 is regulated by a pair of needle valves 23 and a needle valve 24, the valves 23 being mounted in screw plugs 25, in turn mounted in the manifold 18 upon the opposite side thereof from the nozzles 20. The central nozzle 20, however, is located in alignment with the tube 17 and the valve 24L provided for said nozzle passes through the interior of the gas reservoir and is mounted in a screw plug 26, in turn mounted in the manifold 5.

A burner 27 of any suitable construction is illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 beneath the generator tubes 7 and gas reservoir 17 and said burner is provided for the purpose of applying heat to the generator of this invention in order that the oil may be vaporized as it passes through the generator tube 7 and in order that the vapor may also be heated as it passes through the reservoir 17.

The general operation of the device is as follows :Oil fed from a suitable source of supply passes through the pipes 9 into the generator tubes 7 and passes through the tapered passageway 12 formed between the tapered member 11 and the inner wall of the tube 7, and the oil being subjected to heat applied from the burner 27 located beneath the tubes 7 is then vaporized and passes through the ports 14L which are controlled by the needle valves 15 into the chamber 6 of the manifold 5. The vapor passes directly from the chamber 6 into the reservoir 17 being also subjected to heat from the burner 27 as it passes through said reservoir to the manifold 18 from whence it is discharged through the nozzles 20, into the mixing chamber 22, the amount of vapor entering said mixing chamber being regulated through the medium of the needle valves 23 and 24. If products of combustion, such as carbon, collect upon the interior surface of the generator tube 7, said carbon may be removed from said surface by detaching the screw plugs 10 from the manifold 5 and withdrawing the tapered member 11 and brush 13 from the tube 7, it being understood that the supply of oil is shut off from the tube that is being cleaned while this operation is taking place, and that the needle alve 15 which controls the passage of vapor from said tube into the chamber 6 of the manifold 5 is also closed during this operation.

It will be noted that by this construction the tubes 7 which may be of any number desired can be cleaned one at a time while the rest of the tubes are in operation generating the gas.

It has been found that by forming a narrow tapered passageway 12, as hereinbefore described, within the tubes 7 around the tapered member 11, that the oil is very quickly vaporized and that the agitation that is produced within the passageway from the heat that is applied to the exterior of the tube 7 and from the expansion of the oil and gases within the generator tubes, that currents are produced that tend to prevent carbon from collecting, to any great extent, upon the periphery of the tapered member 11 or the inner surface of the tube 7 and that practically all of the carbon that is formed is in such line particles that it.

passes through the generator with the vapor to the point where the combustion takes place.

I claim:

1. A gas generator comprising, in combination, a manifold, a generator tube mounted at one end thereof in said manifold, a tapered member extending longitudinally within said generator tube and forming a tapered passageway therein, means mounted upon said tapered member to scrape the interior surface of said generator tube, a gas reservoir mounted at one end thereof in said manifold and a second manifold mounted at the other end of said gas" reservoir and provided with discharge ports therein.

2. A gas generator comprising, in combination, a manifold, a generator tube mounted at one end thereof in said manifold, a tapered member extending longitudinally within said generator tube and forming a tapered passageway therein, a wire brush mounted upon said tapered member and engaging the interior surface of said generator tube, a gas reservoir mounted at one end thereof in said manifold and a seo-' ond manifold mounted at the other end of said gas reservoir and provided with dis charge ports therein.

3. A gas generator comprising, in combination, a manifold, a generator tube mounted at one end thereof in said manifold, a tapered member extending longitudinally within said generator tube and forming a tapered passageway therein, a wire brush. mounted upon said tapered member and engaging the interior surface of said generator tube, a gas reservoir mounted at one end thereof in said manifold, a second manifold mounted at the other end of said gas reservoir, a plurality of discharge nozzles mounted in said last-named manifold and valves for said nozzles.

4. A gas generator comprising, in combination, a manifold, a generator tube mounted at one end thereof in said manifold, a plug detachably secured in said manifold upon the opposite side thereof from said generator tube, a tapered member mounted in said plug and projecting through said manifold and into said generator tube and forming a passageway therein around said member, a gas reservoir mounted at one end thereof in. said manifold and a second manifold mounted at the other end of said gas reservoir and provided with discharge ports therein.

5. A gas generator comprising, in combination, a manifold, a generator tube mounted at one end thereof in said manifold, a plug detacha-bly secured in said manifold upon the opposite side thereof from said generator tube, a tapered member mounted in said plug and projecting through said manifold and into said generator tube and forming a tapered passageway extending longitudinally therethrough, a wire brush mounted upon said tapered member and engaging the interior surface of said generator tube, a gas reservoir mounted at one end thereof in said manifold and a second manifold mounted at the other end of said gas reservoir and provided with discharge ports therein. 4

6. A. gas generator comprising, in combination, a manifold provided with a chamber therein, a plurality of generator tubes mounted at one end thereof in said manifold, plugs detachably secured in said manifold upon opposite sides thereof from said tubes, a tapered member mounted in each of said plugs and projecting through said manifold and into said generator tubes and forming a tapered passageway therein, each passageway being provided With a port communicating with the chamber of said manifold, a valve for each port, a gas reservoir mounted at one end thereof in said manifold, a second manifold mounted at the other end of said gas reservoir, a plurality of discharge nozzles mounted in said last-named manifold and valves for said nozzles.

7. A gas generator comprising, in combi nation, a manifold provided with a chamber therein, a plurality of generator tubes mounted at one end thereof in said manifold, plugs detachably secured in said manifold upon opposite sides thereof from said tubes, a tapered member mounted in each of said plugs and projecting through said manifold and into said generator tubes and forming a tapered passageway therein, each passageway being provided with a port communieating with the chamber of said manifold, a valve for each port, a Wire brush mounted upon said tapered member and engaging the interior surface of said generator tube, a gas reservoir mounted at one end thereof in said manifold, a second manifold mounted at the other end of said gas reservoir, a plurality of discharge nozzles mounted in said last-named manifold and valves for said nozzles.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. CUSTER. Witnesses:

FRANKLIN E. Low, HAZEL F. LA MUDGE. 

